A New Beginning
by Celestial Rage
Summary: Van and Hitomi have been apart for 3 years. A new heir to the throne arrives... who is this boy? Please R&R this is my first fanfic so be kind
1. Chapter 1: Broken Heart

HI! This is my first fanfiction and I hope you all like it!

Anyway, let´s start with the usual:

DISCLAIMER: Okay, I´m just going to say it ONCE, so pay attention: I DO NOT OWN ESCAFLOWNE´S CHARACTERS (although I wish I would...).

READY! Here we go:

"Goodbye, Van. I´ll always remember you..."

"Hitomi..."

And then she was gone...

He had lost her. And that was the biggest mistake he had ever done in all his relatively short life...

THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE

A NEW BEGINNING

CHAPTER 1: Broken heart 

Hitomi Kanzaki was turning 18 years old today, but she didn´t feel happy. She sat in front of her desk, her gaze outside the window fixed in nothing in particular. But her mind... yeah, her mind was thousands of miles from there. In Gaea. In Fanelia...

With him.

A tear rolled and fell from her cheek, splashing on the open book that layed in front of her.

A knock sounded on her door. "Hitomi, sweetie, may I come in?"

"Yeah, mom" Hitomi wipped away her tears and tried to smile as she turned to face her mother. "What can I help you with?"

"Well, Yukari called a moment ago. I called you, but you didn´t answer me, so I came to see if you´re alright."

"Yeah, I was just thinking... I guess I got too lost in thought, uh?" She smiled weakily, tears threatening to fall once again.

"Hitomi..." Her mother looked at her eyes and was amazed by the deep sadness she saw there. _What is happening to you? _She sat on the bed facing her daughter "Honey, you´ve not been the same since that incident 3 years ago." She reached for her daughter´s face, placing a hand on her still wet cheek and smiled weakily "Where´s my cheerful girl? I remember you used to joke all the time, and now you seem sad all day long..."

"It´s nothing..." Hitomi turned her face to her side, gazing outside again _At least nothing you can help me with. No one in this whole planet can help me._

"C´mon, Hitomi. I know something´s wrong... Please tell me."

"I... I just... I miss him..." The last part was barely audible, as Hitomi whispered her entire answer.

"Him?" Her mother frowned "You mean... that boy from the _other world_?"

"His name is Van, I´ve already told you before, so please don´t call him like that."

"Okay... Van then" Her mother sighed deeply. "Hitomi, you _must_ let go from those memories... I know it´s painful, but you must keep on going with your life." Hitomi flinched. Her mother smiled full of empathy. "Your grandmother had to do the same. I know you will also be able to. You´re strong enough, and have family and friends you can rely on if needed be..."

_Let go of my memories? I can´t... I don´t want to... I know it´s selfish, but I love him so much. I can´t just say "Oh, well, I will fall for someone else and forget about Van." It´s not that simple. Don´t you understand, mom? I don´t think I would be able to be happy here. Not without him in my life._ "I´ll try" she answered instead, not wanting to continue hearing her mother´s well-intended, but needless words. "I need to be alone right now, mom. Do you mind?" Hitomi turned to face her, a slight smile touching her lips.

Her mother sighed. It was obvious Hitomi still needed time... _But how many more time?It´s already been 3 years. I think we should consult an specialist... but how can I explain my daughter´s situation? Robots, other worlds, princes... It´s just too much. _ "Sure, don´t worry" She lifted from her position in the bed and kissed her daughter´s forehead. "Just remember Yukari is coming this evening to celebrate your birthday" She started for the exit _I need to do something, before my daughter becomes insane with all the sadness contained inside her..._

"Yeah, I´ll remember..."

Hitomi´s mother opened the door and turned to see her daughter only to find her gazing outside her window again...


	2. Chapter 2: Wish to the Stars

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HITOMI!"

It was a very cheerful reunion. Some of Hitomi´s friends and schoolmates were there to celebrate her birthday. Even Amano was there as he was spending his vacation with his family in Japan.

"C´mon, Hitomi. Make a wish!" Yukari standed behind her best friend´s chair as Hitomi´s mother lighted the candle on the birthday cake.

"Okay" she smiled halfheartedly and then proceeded to honor the all time tradition of "blowing the candle on the birthday cake" She closed her eyes as she blew. _Oh, God! Please, just grant me this wish. I know my wishes never come true, so I beg of you... Just this one... and I won´t ask anything else from you again._ She opened her eyes and what she saw in that moment froze her...

A white feather passed before her eyes just to disappear in midair.

A chill traveled down her spine. _Did I really see that or is it just my imagination?_ Hitomi´s eyes burned with unfallen tears._ Oh, God! Am I going mad?_

"Hitomi? Are you okay?" Yukari was now facing her. Confusion and worry evident in her eyes.

_Damn! She must have noticed something is wrong with me_. "Yeah. I´m fine. Don´t worry, Yukari. I was just thinking about my wish." She smiled.

"What did you wish, Kanzaki?" Amano aproached slightly to where they were.

"Amano! She can´t tell us. If she did, her wish won´t come true." Yukari looked at him in mock anger, placing her hands on her hips.

_I don´t want that to happen!_ "Yeah, sorry, Amano. But I really _need_ my wish to come true" Hitomi looked at him and smiled a little.

Yukari blinked. _Need? She needs her wish to come true... What does she mean?_ She looked around and noticed Hitomi´s mother worried face. No one else seemed to had caught the oddity in Hitomi´s words.

"If you would excuse me, I need some fresh air" the seer got up and smiled to her guests. "I´ll be right back, so keep enjoying the party." With that she exited the room.

Yukari and her friend´s mother exchanged a look, while all the other guests continued with their chat and dance, enjoying themselves, oblivious to the nerviosism of their hostess and her daughter´s best friend.

CHAPTER 2: Wish to the stars 

Hitomi walked towards the front door tears still menacing to betray the engulfing sadness in her heart. _Van... have you forgotten me? Have you moved on and found someone else to share your life with? Am I just clinging to a desperate love?_

She closed the door behind her and looked upwards. The stars shimered on the dark celestial cloak and her mind traveled to the fist time she saw the same stars on a planet diferent than hers.

"_Seems we are on Gaia." He looked around and smiled._

Hitomi was scared. There was a dragon in the temple. Yukari, Amano and herself had escaped... that boy... he was fighting the dragon. He won... and then... the column of light...

_She opened her eyes only to find herself liying on the grass. She looked around only to find that it was still nightime. In front of her, was standing **that boy**. He gazed upwards and she was amazed of how bright the night was. She mimicked his stance and was shocked when not only the Moon was visible in the sky, but also Earth._

"_Why can I see Earth from here!" "Where am I?"_

"_It´s because we´re near the village of Karnass . That´s why the Moon of Illusions can be seen so clearly"._

"_The village of Karnass?"_

"Yeah, we´re quite near of Fanelia." He looked at her and she could see a hint of a smile on his features. But one thing was evident, the pride she saw in his eyes when he mentioned Fanelia...

Hitomi lowered her gaze, tears now running freely down her cheeks. She walked down the street, towards the park. _I need my wish to come true... I was not joking when I said that. If it doesn´t happen, I´ll die... from sadness and loneliness._ She sat on a swing´s chair and started to cry.

Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine as a cold breeze passed near her. Hitomi raised her head from her hands and felt how breath caught in her throat.

It was raining, but not a drop of water fell over her... for it was raining white feathers.

From her position, she could see a figure approaching her. The silouete was visible under the streetlamps. When it came into view, her heart skip a beat and then started pounding at double pace.

"Van!" her lips whispered and her voice traveled over the white rain.


	3. Chapter 3: Intact Love

"Van!"

The King of Fanelia stood in front of her. She looked at him... he was so proud but gentle at the same time. He hadn´t changed much in so those 3 years. He was taller and well-built. Aside from that, he still looked as she remembered him. _So handsome..._

"Hitomi..." his voice was sweet and caring. Her name sounded so beautiful in his lips... She became entraced in his eyes. The same deep brown eyes that haunted her every dream now gazed at her with pure love.

She lifted and started for him, her legs were trembling so bad, she was surprised they could carry her. He was faster than her, only seconds after she had gotten up, he had already gotten to her and was embracing his love, keeping her so close to his heart it would have hurt if he had cared.

She snuggled deeper in his arms basking in the comfort and happiness she hadn´t felt for so many time. _Thank you God! Thanks for hearing my plead..._ _He´s with me now, nothing else matters._

Chapter 3: Intact love 

Van didn´t want to let go. It had been so many time since the last time he had been able to hold her. He had wished for this moment to arrive so many times, and finally, after all the suffering, hoping and pleading, he had been able to make it back to Earth...

With her.

"Van?" her soft voice entraced him. He shrivered and pulled back only enough to meet those esmerald green eyes he had dreamt so much for.

"Yeah?"

"I missed you so much..." her eyes shimered with joyful tears and his hand gently brushed them away.

" I missed you too... very much." He cupped her cheek in his hand and she smiled contently; just feeling his touch on her skin made her soul take flight.

"I´m sorry it had been so long, my dear Hitomi. I´ve been working so much rebuilding Fanelia... and... no, there´s no excuse... I´m sorry" Ashamed, the King lowered his head, only to find her hand on his chin, forcing him to look back at her.

"Van, it´s okay, you´re here now, that´s all that matters." _My wish came true, I´m not going to ask anything. Just enjoy... _Hitomi smiled lovingly. Van felt his heart pounding fast in his chest. She was as beautiful as he remembered. More femenine, since she had developed smooth curves in all the right places. Her hair was longer now, just below her shoulders, but it suited her fine.

_I must tell her. I was such a coward before... but I won´t make the same mistake again. It would kill me._ "Hitomi..." he clutched her close again and whispered in her ear "I love you so much..."

"Oh, Van!" She kissed his cheek and whispered back "I love you too".

"You know, I´ve been wanting to tell you this for such a long time." He smiled still feeling the odd, but more than pleasant, sensation Hitomi´s lips had left on his cheek.

"Really? Me too. Isn´t it an irony, we suffered so much because we didn´t tell our feelings when we needed to?" She pulled away slightly gazing at him again.

"Yeah... I, for one was quite stupid for letting you go." Van was amazed how easily it was telling her his feelings now. Three years ago, he wouldn´t have told her this... ever_. I guess I´ve matured... being so many time far from her, made me realize so many things. I´m lucky to have her by my side now._

"Van..." she smiled and blushed slightly. He touched her cheek with the back of his hand. "Let´s make a promise, Van."

"Sure, whatever you want"

" We´ll never hide our feelings again. I mean, the last time we let that happen, we finished miles apart of each other... I don´t want that to happen again.." She whispered the last part as she placed her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck again.

"I promise I won´t let that happen again, my dear Hitomi" He embraced her swearing to himself he would live to that promise.

He´ll be damned if he lost her again.


	4. Chapter 4: Encounters

"Hitomi´s been out quite a long time, don´t you think Amano?"

Amano turned back to face Yukari, who was sitting on the sofa in Hitomi´s living room. Worry was evident in her face as she looked at the her watch.

"It´s only been 15 minutes, Yukari." Amano walked towards her, placing a hand on top of her head. He felt her shiver a little. "Do you want me to go look for her?"

"Yeah, please. I´m worried about her." She looked up and smiled weakily at him. _I don´t want her to be alone. Specially not on her birthday..._

"I´ll go, although I really don´t understand why you´re so worried." _But the look in your eyes is so frightened, I´m starting to worry myself._

"Amano, Yukari! Hitomi´s back!" the voice of her mother came clearily from the kitchen area. Yukari standed up and went to the front door. Amano close on her toes. When she opened the door, she noticed Hitomi was not alone. _A man is with her... Who is he?_

Chapter 4: Encounters 

"Amano, who is the guy next to Hitomi?"

"I don´t know, I can´t see him well, it´s too dark outside." Amano´s eyes narrowed as he was trying to see better the man´s face.

Hitomi´s mother aproached them, noticing the tension between her daughter´s friends she tried to see what they were gazing outside. "What is it?"

"Hitomi is with someone"

"What!"

"I can see him.. OH, GOD! He is _that boy_!" Yukari was shocked when she recognized the boy responsible of Hitomi´s dissapeareance 3 years ago. _What is he doing here!"_

"Which boy, Yukari? What are you talking about?" Amano couldn´t pick point where he had seen that face...

"What´s wrong?"

Yukari turned to face Hitomi´s mother "The boy that is with Hitomi... he... he is the one that took her to Gaia 3 years ago."

"Van..." the mature woman whispered. _Why is he here? Is he trying to take her away again!_ This thought made her run towards her daughter to keep her away from that boy.

"Hitomi!" She turned to face towards her home and was surprised to see Yukari and Amano in the doorway. But more shocked when she saw her mother running towards herself.

"Mom? What´s wrong?" She felt as Van clutched her hand harder to reassure her everything was going to be alright.

"Hitomi get away from him!" Her mother caught Hitomi´s hand and started to pull her aside from Van.

"Mom, stop it! What´s wrong with you!" She jerked away staying close to the Fanelian King. Van hold her and for the first time dared to speak to her love´s mother. "Why should Hitomi stay away from me, my lady?"

Anger evident in her eyes and voice, the woman spit her next words. "Because you won´t take her away again! I won´t let you! She is MY daughter, you can´t just come and return to your world with her!" Her eyes full of tears, she pleaded her case to the young man. "Please.. don´t take her away from me..."

"Mom..." Hitomi embraced her mother, trying to soothe her tears.

"I´m sorry, I caused you such a pain 3 years ago." Van aproached Hitomi and her mother. He looked into the eyes of the woman and she was able to see a deep love contained within him. "But... by transporting Hitomi by accident to Gaia, I found my salvation." He took his love´s hand and smiled lovingly to her. "She saved my life so many times, she taught me to trust and love again. I owe her so much... I can´t thank her enough. Instead, I´ve given her my heart and soul."

Hitomi blushed and smiled widely. "And I love him too, mom. Very, very much." Hitomi looked at her mother, eyes shimering with tears. "Remember what you told me this morning? Well, I can´t... I can´t keep on going. Not without Van by my side."

"You love him that much?" Her mother was amazed of the intensity in her daughter´s words. She had never seen Hitomi so vehement about something.

"More than life itself, mom"

She didn´t hesitate in her answer... Oh, Hitomi! You are really in love with this man. This is very infortunate to me, because now I know, I can´t say anything to make you change your mind...

Surely I will end up losing you to him.

Amano and Yukari chose that moment to approach to them. Amano interposed himself between Hitomi, her mother and Van. "Why are you here?" his voice contained some resentment towards the young King.

"I don´t owe you any explanations. I´ll only give them to Hitomi´s mother."

"Then tell me... Van."

The Fanelian boy looked at the seer´s mother. "Ma´am. I´m here because I love your daughter so deeply that I want to share the rest of my life with her..." He looked directly into his love´s esmerald eyes to find hapiness and love shinning in them.

"What!" Hitomi´s mother shrivered._ He´s proposing to her... And she will accept... I know it._

"Oh, Van!" Hitomi blushed and threw herself into his arms. He embraced her, taking in both her touch and love. The hint of flowers scent filled his senses as he passed a hand down her hair.

Yukari watched the events unfold. Her eyes shimered slightly but a light smile touched her lips. _Hitomi is leaving us again... but this time, is for the better._


End file.
